Building construction



Dec. 27, 1938. G. F. KOTRBATY BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed. July 31, 1957 I INVENTIOR 69g [Kohbaly BY f/wfwd i. W.

A TTORNEY Patented Dec. 27, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 16 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in selfsupporting building units adapted for use in walls and floors, as well as on roofs and ceilings, and the application relates more particularly to such units having composite I-beam sections as the structural elements, spaced apart and held by a single panel, abutted semi-stud or beam sections being securedtogether as structural composites, and the open faces of the units being surfaced with continuous sheathing or other surfacing materials,

The present invention is concerned with structural units in which the side members form structural building members when abutted and interlocked with juxtaposed like members. The soformed composite structural supporting members may be spaced apart on a given modulus and secured together by panelings or wall members to form a single face or wall section of an open building unit, Which will comprise two end structural composite stud or beam elements and an intermediate wall, flooring, ceiling or roofing panel section. The panelings may be secured to the side or structural supporting members as by means of bolts, rivets, screws, screw nails, or

equivalent securing means. Waterproof cements, including casein glues, synthetic resins and. the may also be used to secure the several parts together. Desirably the composite structural end sections may have interlocking flanges to permit their proper alignment and initial securing together, and they may be provided further at the free edges with looking flanges adapted to receive keying members. With the use of such keying members abutted and aligned units may be permanently locked to give a wall, flooring or roof construction having a single face supported on composite structural stud or beam members. The locking keys may have furring strips, sleepers, or nailing members secured thereto at the open sides or faces of the assembled units, and nailable surfacings may be secured to the sleepers, or furring strips. Such a construction permits the use of the customary nailable surfacings, such as sheathings and clapboarding, ply Wood or other paneling, and the like, to structural units including my self-supporting units generally and the composite structural stud, stanchion, and beam members of walls and fioorings. This provides a desired and practicable extension of the building principles and structures set out in my patents, above identified, as well as in other patents divided out of the same, or based on the common fundamental constructional principles.

The composite I-beams of the present invention. have the respective or separate elements formed with mating Web sections serving as stiffening elements and may be provided with fiat key receiving flanges at one rail section while the other rail sections may be adapted to receive panel wall sections and secure and protect the edges thereof. Also, the panel sections may be secured to interlocked rail sections. The Web sections of the I-beams may include one or more mating rib 10 sections.

The use of an open-faced structural member having two structural end sections lends itself very readily to use in so-called prefabricated or preformed houses, in which the several parts may be designed or cut for rapid and efficient assembly and fabrication. As an adjunct of this facility of design, fabrication, and erection, the inner or outer panels of any given wall, floor, ceiling, or attic unit, may be suitably stenciled to indicate diagrams for the layout and erection of plumbing pipes and fixtures, piping and other fixtures for heating systems and air conditioning devices, which diagrams will indicate the proper position of various services and component parts when the house is under erection. It will, of course, be appreciated that a wide variety of plans, layouts and diagrams, including catalogue designations of parts and bills of materials, may be stencilled, printed, or lithographed on either or both sides of these panel members. Such indicia may include diagrams for radio installations, television, fire alarm, burglar alarm, telephone wiring or call bell systems, wiring diagrams or plans of a multitude of other devices, services or Wiring layouts, diagrams or plans. The panels may, of course, include nailing diagrams. In addition, the present invention comprehends the marking of the outer surfaces of such panels with diagrams, and the like, indicating the position of sinks, fiush tanks, lavatories, bowls, fixtures for telephone and lighting, including switches and switch and control boxes, as Well as brackets and hangers, and other auxiliary structural elements associated with the services delineated on the reverse side of the panel.

The composite stud and beam sections of the present invention may, as noted immediately above, assume a variety of forms and include single ribbed or multi-ribbed I-beam sections adapted for mutual interlocking and having other sections adapted to be secured together by common keying means, which keying means desirably includes nailing members for receiving continuous Wall, floor and ceiling surfacings.

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a plurality of assembled wall units having floor hanging connections and having composite I-beams with unitary stiffening and mating locking 'ribs and including channel flanges for receiving wall panelings;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the composite- I-beam of the structural units of Fig; 1, together with the common keying means and nailable wall sheathing support or sleepers;

Fig. 3 is aview similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified structural composite I-beam having a plurality of mating locking stiffening ribs and interlocking flange connections at the panel receiving sides of the rails, and

Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the composite I-beam of the structural units of Fig. 3, together with the common keying means and nailable wall sheathing support or sleepers.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the novel structural building members of the present invention comprise units, designated generally by the numeral I00, and including single panel or wall sections, IOI, secured to and'spacing end stud elements of composite stud members, 200. The composite I-beams or structural members, 200, include half I-beam sections, 20I, 202, provided at the center of the web portions thereof with mating longitudinal groove and tongue sections or ribs 203, 204. The rail sections at one side of the composite member comprise flaring flange sections 205, bent inwardly on themselves to form base sections, 205, in abutting engagement and forming with the sections, 205, a hollow triangular space,20'|. These edge flange sections are provided with abutting angular flange sections, 200, which in turn terminate in rectangularly positioned flanges, 209,"parallel to the sections, 206, and forming channels, 2I0, therewith, adapted to receive wall panels, I'M, as will be described more in detail hereinafter.

The opposite rail sections of elements, 203, 204, include the flanges, 205, 206, and these latter terminate in spacedhook flanges, 206a, adapted to receive mating hook flanges, I2I, I22, of flat key members, I20. Furring strips, sleepers or other nail receiving members, I30, may besecured to the flat keys, I20, in any suitable manner as by means of nails, screws, bolts, etc., all indicated generally by the numeral I3I. Suitable cementing agents and glues may also be used for this purpose, and narrow panel sections or strips of wood, includingplywood, may be applied thereto.

The panels, IOI, may be fitted into the channels 2I0, of the rail sections of the I-beams and held in place therein by the usual securing means, I02, which may comprise bolts, rivets, nails, screws orother suitable securing means, including waterproof cements and glues. Where desired the panels, i0I, may be routed or grooved at the edge as indicated at I04, and the flanges or tongues, 209, fitted therein, the assem'blybev generally by the numeral I33. Other surfacings maybe applied thereto, and including metal,

wood, paper-encased gypsum panels, plaster or stucco; latlrvrhich latter may be covered with plastic materials, or rick or stone veneer. The

continuous sheathing or other like structural wall surfacing completes the wall structure and insures rigidity to the wall assemblies. lhe material used for the sheathing and Sllif3.8 finishings may vary, depending upon whether or not the units form part of inner supporting or partition walls, or whether they form part of outside walls which are required to be finished with weather resistant surfaces. In the latter instance it will be understood that tar paper and other waterproofing inserts may be associated with thesheathing, I32, and the surface finish- I'33. Furring strips or sleepers, I30, of the assembly thus serve as verticm or horizontal supporting members in the composite stud members, 200, and at the'sa-me time serve as supports for surface finish and supporting members such as the sheathings, I32, and associated surfacing, I33. The abutted panels, Iili, of adjacent units are desirably directly abutted to give a line seam IOIa, particularly in cases where the paneling material, IOI, may be made of veneering and having a desirable surface finish. Any seams or joints formed may be filled with filler putty or cement and sparkled before painting or finishing of the surface.

' The units, I00, may be set in channel members adapted to receive the composite stud members, 200, and secured therein by concrete or other hardenable plastics, or by mechanical means such as bolts and nuts, screws and screw nails, as well as rivets, and by means of spot welding. Usually and desirably the panel members, IOI, may be cut away at sufficient distance top and bottom to permit the stud members, 200, to extend therebeyond and fit into the channels at the bottom and receive cap members at the top as well as to receive floor hanger members, I40, at the topand bottom thereof. These hanger members comprise a body section, I4I,

secured to the composite stud members as by means of spot Welds, I42, and being provided at the top and bottom thereof with an offset flange, I43, and a hook flange, I44, which are generally in vertical alignment. The flanges I03, I44, of the hanger member, I40, are adapted to be received in and locked by like members placed in reverse position on floor sections and other struc tural building members which are to be hung on the wall. The hangers may be secured on and over abutted panels, ml, or, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the sections 208, 209, may be cut back to permit the welding of the hangers to sections 206, the panels I0! being cut away a sufllcient distance to accommodate same. In this connection, it is to be noted that the hanger members,

unit, and thus, for the entire structure and will prevent weaving or lateral vibration, particu larly at the vertical joints. The hanger members may also be used in continuous lengths, overlapping or extending over a plurality of abutted. units and providing a common, lateral bracing construction.

As more particularly set forth and claimed in my companion application Serial No. 156,756,, filed July 31, 1937, a desirable feature in the: designing and erection of so-called prefabricated or planned houses is the provision of stencillings on the inner sides of the wall panels, IEH, which; stencillings indicate the exact position and layout. of all plumbing, heating, air conditioning ducts, wiring and telephone and other maintenance services required in a house. These several stencillings may vary from one unit to another depend-- ing upon the parts which are to be secured therein: or thereto and which insure absolute accuracy 0t fit and correctness of performance. It is to be: noted further that all holes may be predrilled or: prepunched, and, where necessary, the holes re-- ceiving screw fastening members may be thread. tapped. The pre-punched or pre-drilled holes will provide for passage of pipe ducts, wires, and. other elements, through the panels, thereby cut-- ting down the time normally required for such. work to be done in the field, and doing away with the botchy appearance of such work. All of this lends to uniformity of design, fabrication and. erection and at the same time insures to all parties involved maximum speed in erection and fitting while at the same time insuring absolute: correctness in the assembly, which, from a sanitary and efiicient point of View is of prime import-- ance. Standardization of erection consequent upon the standardization of parts permitted by this novel method, also permits standardization of replacement members and absolute and complete accuracy in their identification and replacement. The plumbing and other services may havetheir outlets on either surface of the units and may extend through several units horizontally passing through the apertures, lllla, in the supporting members, I H3.

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4, there is shown a second form of composite I-beam which is characterized by double stiffening and locking ribs, as well as by an interlock of the rail segments at the panel side. These modified I-beams,. 288a, include the usual web sections 20!, 202,. having mating locking and stiffening ribs and channels 2E3, 264, and a second pair of such elements, generally parallel with the first pair and spaced therefrom. The second pair of interlocking stiffening sections, 283a, 294a, are desirably situated or disposed on the opposite side of the composite structural member 290a from the first pair, and in this position increase the compressive and tension resistant strength of the composite unit. The rail sections of the composite unit sections comprise the angular flanges 295, bent inwardly to form base sections 286 and defining hollow triangular spaces, 20?. At the panelreceiving side the base sections, 236, terminate in interlocking inturned flange, 2050, and mating hook-flange, 265d. At the open side of the unit, as set out in describing the basic structural member 2051, the flat flanges terminate in inturned fiat hook flanges, Zeta, adapted to receive mating hook flanges, l2l, E22, of the flat key members iiil. Sleepers, I35, and equivalent members will be secured to the keys, I29, as described hereinabove.

The panels IUI, will be secured to the rail sections z llt, adjacent the interlocking elements,

2060,}0642, by the securing members, I02, p're viously described, and the panels may be abutted in line contact as indicated at I 0| a, or a gap may be left therebetween.

I Itwill now be appreciated that there have been provided novel structural building members including unitary constructions having a paneling and structural end members secured thereto, :abutted end members of adjacent sections forming. composite structural members which in turn are locked in place by a plurality of keying members,

one of which has means associated therewith to receive continuous wall surfacings closing the open faces ofthe units and completing a wall, floor or roof assembly. In addition, floor hanging and securing members are associated with the assembly of units to secure floors thereto and at the same time to provide a desirable lateral bracing to a structure made therefrom.

What is claimed is:

1. A composite structural building member forming a generally I-beam construction comprising a pair of half sections, each section including a web portion having at least one tongue and groove element therein for mating engagement with abutted like elements, the rail sections of the composite elements including acutely angled elements terminating in hook flanges, the hook flanges on one rail being adapted to be engaged and secured by cooperating fiat keying members, and the other hook flanges being of suflicient size to receive panel sections of self supporting buildunits.

2. A composite structural building member forming ,a generally I-beam construction comprising a pair of half sections, each section including a web portion having a plurality of tongue and groove elements therein for mating engagement with abutted like elements, the rail sections of the composite elements including acutely angled elements terminating in hook flanges, the hook flanges on one rail being adapted to be engaged and secured by cooperating flat keying members, and the other hook flanges being of suflicient size to receive panel sections of self supporting building units.

3. A self-supporting building unit comprising a panel section secured to and spacing end structural sections, the end structural sections being elements of a composite I-beam construction, each section including a web portion having at least one tongue and groove element therein for mating engagement with abutted like elements, the rail sections of the composite elements including acutely angled elements terminating in hook flanges, the hook flanges on one rail being.

adapted to be engaged and secured by cooperating flat keying members, and the other hook flanges being of sufficient size to receive panel sections.

4. A self-supporting building unit comprising a panel section secured to and spacing end structural sections, the end structural sections being elements of a composite I-bearn construction, each section including a web portion having a plurality of tongue and groove elements therein for mating engagement with abutted like elements, the rail sections of the composite elements including acutely angled elements terminating in hook flanges, the hook flanges on one rail being adapted to be engaged and secured by cooperating flat keying members, and the other hock flanges being of sufiicient size to receive panel sections.

5. A continuous building section comprising an array of self supporting building units, each unit including a single face or panel section secured to and spacing end structural elements of composite I-beams, each I-beam section including a web portion having at least one tongue and groove element therein for mating engagement with abutted like elements, the rail sections of the composite elements including acutely angled elements terminating in hook flanges, the hook flanges on one rail being adapted to be engaged and secured by cooperating flat keying members, and the other hook flanges being of suflicient size to receive panel sections.

6. A continuous building section comprising an array of self-supporting building units, each unit including a single face or panel section secured to and spacing end structural elements of composite I-beams, each I-beam section including a web portion having a plurality of tongue and groove elements therein for mating engagement with abutted like elements, the rail sections of the composite elements including acutely angled elements terminating in hook flanges, the hook flanges on one rail being adapted to be engaged and secured by cooperating flat keying members, and the other hook flanges being of sufficient size to receive panel sections.

'7. A self-supporting building unit comprising a panel section secured to and spacing end struc tural sections, the end structural sections being elements of a composite I-beam construction, each section including a web portion having at least one tongue and. groove element therein for mating engagement with abutted like elements, the rail section of the composite elements on one side thereof including acutely angled elements terminating in hook flanges, the said hook flanges being adapted to be engaged and secured by cooperating flat keying members, the opposite rail sections of the composite element including acutely angled elements having base portions, one of the base portions of cooperating element including an inturned locking flange and the other cooperating element including an inturned hook flange adapted to receive the said locking flange when the I-beam elements are initially fitted together.

8. A self-supporting building unit comprising a panel section secured to and spacing end structural sections, the end structural sections being elements of a composite I-beam construction, each section including a Web portion having a plurality of tongue and groove elements therein for mating engagement with abutted like elements, the rail section of the composite elements on one side thereof including acutely angled elements terminating in hook flanges, the said hook flanges being adapted to be engaged and secured by cooperating flat keying members, the opposite rail sections of the composite element including acutely angled elements having base portions, one of the base portions of the cooperating elements including an inturned locking flange and the other cooperating element including an inturned hook flange adapted to receive the said locking flange when the I-beam elements are initially fitted together.

9. In a building construction of the type described in claim 5, the improvements comprising a common wall surfacing over the open faces of the said assembly of units and secured to and on the said structural members, and structural hanger members secured to and on the structural members at floor level height and forming lateral bracing elements for the building units.

10. In a building construction of the type described in claim 5, the improvements comprising a common wall surfacing over the open faces of each unit of the said assembly of units and secured to and on the said structural members, and structural hanger members secured to and on the structural members at floor level height and forming lateral bracing elements for the building units.

11. In a building construction of the type described in claim 6, the improvements comprising a common wall surfacing over the open faces of the said assembly of units and secured to and on the said structural members, and structural hanger members secured to and on the structural members at floor level height and forming lateral bracing elements for the building units.

12. In a building construction of the type described in claim 6, the improvements comprising a common wall surfacing over the open faces of each unit of the said assembly of units and secured to and on the said structural members, and structural hanger members secured to and on the structural members at floor level height and forming lateral bracing elements for the building units.

13. In a building construction of the type described in claim '7, the improvements comprising a common wall surfacing over the open faces of the said assembly of units and secured to and on the said structural members, and structural hanger members secured to and on the structural members at floor level height and forming lateral bracing elements for the building units.

14. In a building construction of the type described in claim 7, the improvements comprising a common wall surfacing over the open faces of each unit of the said assembly of units and secured to and on the said structural members, and structural hanger members secured to and on the structural members at floor level height and forming lateral bracing elements for the 7 building units.

15. In a building construction of the type described in claim 8, the improvements comprising a common wall surfacing over the open faces of the said assembly of units and secured to and on the said structural members, and structural hanger members secured to and on the structural members at floor level height and forming lateral bracing elements for the building units.

16. In a building construction of the type described in claim 8, the improvements comprising a common wall surfacing over the open faces of each unit of the said assembly of units and secured to and on the said structural members, and structural hanger members secured to and on the structural members at floor level height and forming lateral bracing elements for the building units.

GUY FELIX KOTRBATY. 

